论实用艺术作品的重构及其保护制度的完善

On the Conceptual Reconstruction of Works of Applied Art and the Improvement of Its Protection System

兼具实用性和艺术性的物品因符合独创性和可复制性的条件而应受到著作权的保护,其可构成实用艺术作品。我国关于实用艺术作品的制度存在缺陷,主要是实用艺术作品的概念不清、法律地位不明确,著作权法存在体系性矛盾,对源于国内和国外的作品保护有差异。这引发了司法中的问题,比如概念理解有偏差、审美标准不统一、“分离”标准不合理等等。实用艺术作品著作权保护的难点在于“实用性”和“艺术性”的界定,总结各国经验可以预见,该问题在短期内难有突破。对此,可采用“整体分离法”将实用性、艺术性和独创性的判断合为一步,提取讼争对象与“基础设计”的差异,将著作权的保护范围限定在差异部分。“整体分离法”不仅具有合理性及较强的可操作性,而且也不会导致著作权的过度扩张,能够在合理确权的同时,回避“实用性”和“艺术性”界定中的争议,进而可以进一步完善我国实用艺术作品的著作权保护制度。

Articles that are both useful and artistic should be protected by copyright law because they meet the conditions of originality and reproducibility,and they constitute works of applied art.There are shortcomings in China’s system regarding works of applied art,mainly include unclear concept and legal status of works of applied art,systematic contradictions in copyright law,and differences in the protection of works originating from domestic and foreign countries.As a consequence,problems in the administration of justice have arisen,such as deviations in conceptual understanding,inconsistent aesthetic standards,unreasonable standards of“separation”,etc.The difficulty in protecting the copyright of works of applied art lies in the definition of“practicality”and“artistry”.According to the experience of various countries,it is foreseeable that the problem is difficult to break through in the near future.Therefore,we advocate the use of the“holistic separation method”,namely combining the judgments of practicality,artistry and originality,extracting the difference between the object on dispute and the“basic design”,and limiting the scope of copyright protection to the difference.The“holistic separation method”is rational and highly operational,and it will not lead to excessive expansion of copyright.It can avoid the controversy of“practicality”and“artistry”while protecting the creator,and then will improve the copyright protection of works of applied art in China.